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Minnesota:
American Indian youth in the Twin Cities area are taking a stand against commercial
tobacco. The students, ages 13-17,
are educating Native businesses and
agencies about eliminating
it from their workplaces.

The students are part of Mashkiki Ogichidaag, which
translates into 'Medicine Warriors'." The program
teaches Native youth about traditional tobacco and
its use in Native culture. It also also
teaches the adverse effects of commercial tobacco
abuse.

The Medicine Warriors hold their meetings at
The Division of Indian Work. Hale
provides food for students who take time from their
day to learn about tobacco.

There are two different types of
tobacco: traditional and commercial.

Traditional
Tobacco.

Group
members talk about how traditional tobacco is
different from commercial tobacco. They explain how tobacco is
used in Native traditions for prayers, gift giving,
blessings and medicinal purposes.

"I learned how many medicines come from the earth;
and that traditional tobacco is one of those
reserved for Natives. People always take from the
earth, but they never give. That's why Natives offer
tobacco back to the earth, I think," said Jaden Bruener, an Ojibwe student from White Earth.

Commercial
Tobacco

Students
go into details about
the long term health effects of commercial tobacco.
They say cigarettes can have thousands of
chemicals in them, such as ammonia and formaldehyde.

"There are really bad things that happen if you
smoke or chew or use tobacco in ways that aren't
traditional," said Ivan Mekeithan, a Kiowa and
Ojibwe youth.

Students carry their knowledge back to their
communities and educate others. This includes
visiting American Indian workplaces to talk about
the health risks of commercial tobacco
use.

They also use media to create public service
announcements against commercial tobacco.

"We
... show
them both what the students are learning and also
have the students teach others about the dangers of
smoking commercial tobacco," said Leya Hale, program
coordinator. "Using the power of media
tools such as Powerpoint or DVD's, we try to send a
clear message..: commercial tobacco use needs to stop in our
community."

Many of the students are
at-risk when it comes to tobacco in the household.

"All of the students I work with are very
intelligent; they are at-risk youth who are working
to promote tobacco-free schools and homes. There are
many kids who think that their voice may not matter;
that they have to listen to or follow the examples
of their older peers. But what these students are
doing is showing that if they speak up their voices
will be heard," said Hale.

Mashkiki Ogichidaag students have spread their
message in others ways. One project was cleaning up cigarette butts around
the American Indian Center. Their collection was
placed inside an extra large, see-through plastic bag.
They hope their message was clear: "Please don't smoke outside because we all
share the same air."

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